Patents by Inventor Yasushi Hirakawa

Yasushi Hirakawa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230037131
    Abstract: A core wire for a power-transmission belt includes a plied twisted cord formed by putting together and secondary twisting a plurality of primary twisted yarns. The primary twisted yarns include a plurality of hard primary twisted yarns (A) and one soft primary twisted yarn (B). The hard primary twisted yarns (A) include an aramid fiber, and a fineness of each hard primary twisted yarn (A) is 1500 dtex or less. The soft primary twisted yarn (B) includes a low elastic modulus fiber. A ratio (B/A) of a primary twist coefficient of the soft primary twisted yarn (B) to an average value of primary twist coefficients of the hard primary twisted yarns (A) is 0.5 to 1.2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Tomoda, Yasushi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 10658635
    Abstract: A battery pack including a lightweight and high-rigidity end plate is provided. The battery pack includes: cell stacked body including a plurality of stacked rectangular cells; first end plate disposed at one end of cell stacked body in the stacking direction of rectangular cells; second end plate disposed at the other end of cell stacked body; and connection member connected to first end plate and second end plate. At least one of first end plate and second end plate includes first member made of a first metal material and second member made of a second metal material different from the first metal material. First member and second member are stacked in the stacking direction of rectangular cells. The rigidity of the second metal material is higher than that of the first metal material. The specific gravity of the first metal material is lower than that of the second metal material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nagane, Yasushi Hirakawa
  • Publication number: 20170352850
    Abstract: A battery pack including a lightweight and high-rigidity end plate is provided. The battery pack includes: cell stacked body including a plurality of stacked rectangular cells; first end plate disposed at one end of cell stacked body in the stacking direction of rectangular cells; second end plate disposed at the other end of cell stacked body; and connection member connected to first end plate and second end plate. At least one of first end plate and second end plate includes first member made of a first metal material and second member made of a second metal material different from the first metal material. First member and second member are stacked in the stacking direction of rectangular cells. The rigidity of the second metal material is higher than that of the first metal material. The specific gravity of the first metal material is lower than that of the second metal material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: TAKESHI NAGANE, YASUSHI HIRAKAWA
  • Patent number: 9705111
    Abstract: Provided is a secondary battery in which a battery lid is fixed to a battery case by inserting the battery lid into an opening of the battery case having the opening, and emitting laser beams to a butting portion between the battery case and the battery lid to perform butt welding, wherein, when a battery lid-side welding mark formed in the battery lid has a distance from a surface of the battery lid to a lower end of the battery lid-side welding mark which is defined as a battery lid-side welding depth, and a battery case-side welding mark formed in the battery case has a distance from the surface of the battery lid to a lower end of the battery case-side welding mark which is defined as a battery case-side welding depth, the battery lid-side welding depth is deeper than the battery case-side welding depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya Umeyama, Hiroshi Takamatsu, Yukio Harima, Yasushi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 9614200
    Abstract: A hermetically sealed battery is provided with a sealing member for air-tightly sealing the through-hole of a battery case from the outside. The sealing member has: a covering member secured to the battery case from the outside; an insertion portion inserted into the through-hole; an annular pressure contact portion in air-tight pressure contact with the hole surrounding portion of the battery case; and a connecting portion disposed between the insertion portion and the annular pressure contact portion so as to be integral with the insertion portion and the annular pressure contact portion. The connecting portion is provided with an annular groove surrounding the insertion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kokoku Intech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Kusama, Tomohiro Matsuura, Takashi Harayama, Yasushi Hirakawa, Ichiro Murata, Shinya Muroi
  • Patent number: 9466824
    Abstract: A sealed battery includes an electrode body; a battery case housing the electrode body and having an open surface; a lid member closing the case; a liquid inlet formed penetrating through the lid member; and a sealing member. The sealing member has: a metal sealing plate welded to the lid member to cover and seal the liquid inlet; and an annular movable portion displaceable between a contact position contacting the entire circumference of the inlet and a non-contact position not contacting at least a portion of the inlet. The movable portion is displaced to the non-contact position when the pressure of the inside region of the battery case sealed by the movable portion in the contact position is increased beyond a limit value with respect to the pressure of the outside region opposite from the inside region with respect to the movable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KOKOKU INTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Hirakawa, Shinya Muroi
  • Patent number: 9368785
    Abstract: A sealing member includes a metal lid, an elastic shaft, a supporting protrusion, and a tip portion. The tip portion has an engaging portion larger in diameter than a liquid inlet. The shaft portion has a diameter smaller than that of the liquid inlet and a shaft length longer than the thickness of the circumferential edge portion of the liquid inlet. A sealed battery manufacturing method includes: a temporary sealing step of pressure-contacting the engaging portion to the circumferential edge portion; a degassing step of forming a communication path by pushing the tip portion to such an extent that the lid part does not make contact with a battery case and the tip portion is apart from the circumferential edge portion; and a final sealing step of pressing the tip portion until the lid part makes contact with the battery case, thereby sealing the liquid inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KOKOKU INTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Hirakawa, Shinya Muroi
  • Publication number: 20150349303
    Abstract: Provided is a secondary battery in which a battery lid is fixed to a battery case by inserting the battery lid into an opening of the battery case having the opening, and emitting laser beams to a butting portion between the battery case and the battery lid to perform butt welding, wherein, when a battery lid-side welding mark formed in the battery lid has a distance from a surface of the battery lid to a lower end of the battery lid-side welding mark which is defined as a battery lid-side welding depth, and a battery case-side welding mark formed in the battery case has a distance from the surface of the battery lid to a lower end of the battery case-side welding mark which is defined as a battery case-side welding depth, the battery lid-side welding depth is deeper than the battery case-side welding depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya UMEYAMA, Hiroshi TAKAMATSU, Yukio HARIMA, Yasushi HIRAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20150236336
    Abstract: A sealing member includes a metal lid, an elastic shaft, a supporting protrusion, and a tip portion. The tip portion has an engaging portion larger in diameter than a liquid inlet. The shaft portion has a diameter smaller than that of the liquid inlet and a shaft length longer than the thickness of the circumferential edge portion of the liquid inlet. A sealed battery manufacturing method includes: a temporary sealing step of pressure-contacting the engaging portion to the circumferential edge portion; a degassing step of forming a communication path by pushing the tip portion to such an extent that the lid part does not make contact with a battery case and the tip portion is apart from the circumferential edge portion; and a final sealing step of pressing the tip portion until the lid part makes contact with the battery case, thereby sealing the liquid inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicants: KOKOKU INTECH CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasushi HIRAKAWA, Shinya MUROI
  • Publication number: 20150140368
    Abstract: A sealed battery includes an electrode body; a battery case housing the electrode body and having an open surface; a lid member closing the case; a liquid inlet formed penetrating through the lid member; and a sealing member. The sealing member has: a metal sealing plate welded to the lid member to cover and seal the liquid inlet; and an annular movable portion displaceable between a contact position contacting the entire circumference of the inlet and a non-contact position not contacting at least a portion of the inlet. The movable portion is displaced to the non-contact position when the pressure of the inside region of the battery case sealed by the movable portion in the contact position is increased beyond a limit value with respect to the pressure of the outside region opposite from the inside region with respect to the movable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Yasushi Hirakawa, Shinya Muroi
  • Publication number: 20140322565
    Abstract: A hermetically sealed battery is provided with a sealing member for air-tightly sealing the through-hole of a battery case from the outside. The sealing member has: a covering member secured to the battery case from the outside; an insertion portion inserted into the through-hole; an annular pressure contact portion in air-tight pressure contact with the hole surrounding portion of the battery case; and a connecting portion disposed between the insertion portion and the annular pressure contact portion so as to be integral with the insertion portion and the annular pressure contact portion. The connecting portion is provided with an annular groove surrounding the insertion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Kusama, Tomohiro Matsuura, Takashi Harayama, Yasushi Hirakawa, Ichiro Murata, Shinya Muroi
  • Patent number: 8323812
    Abstract: It is aimed to provide a battery pack capable of securing safety by preventing A battery contained in the battery pack from entering a burning state even if the battery releases high-temperature gas in an abnormal state. An exhaust duct 1C for permitting the flow of gas released from the battery is provided and the gas is exhausted to the outside after reducing the temperature thereof in the exhaust duct 1C. A flow passage area of the exhaust duct 1C is in the range of not less than 0.5 mm2 and not more than 15 mm2 per 1 Ah of the battery capacity. The exhaust duct 1C is provided with a gas cooling portion 1L and a spark trapping portion 1M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Nishino, Yasushi Hirakawa, Koshi Takamura
  • Patent number: 8252455
    Abstract: A secondary battery includes a cylindrical battery case, a positive and negative electrode body group, a top plate and a battery lid connected to first and second electrode bodies of the electrode body group respectively. The secondary battery further includes a current collector placed on an end of the electrode body group on the top plate side and connected to the first electrode body of the electrode body group and a spacer placed between the top plate and the current collector. The top plate is partly formed with a thin portion. The spacer is formed with through holes in positions corresponding to the thin portion. The portion of the current collector corresponding to the thin portion is in contact with the thin portion through the through hole. The thin portion is deformed when the internal pressure of the battery case rises, thereby breaking electric connection between the top plate and the current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Kusama, Yasushi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 8142922
    Abstract: An electrode group 4 having a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate arranged with a porous insulating layer interposed therebetween and end portions of the positive and negative electrode plates protruding from the porous insulating layer is prepared, and current collector plates 10 and 11 each of which is provided with a projection 12 having a gap 12a formed therein is prepared. With the end portion 2a of the electrode plate protruding from the porous insulating layer 3 kept in contact with a principle surface of the current collector plates 10 and 11, the projection 12 is locally heated to join the end portion 2a of the electrode plate and the current collector plates 10 and 11. the end portion 2a of the electrode plate is welded to the current collector plates 10 and 11 with a fused material obtained by fusing the projection 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyomi Kozuki, Tadashi Imai, Yasushi Hirakawa, Takashi Nonoshita
  • Patent number: 8129048
    Abstract: A positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are spirally wound with a separator interposed therebetween to form an electrode group 3 having a circular shape or an oval shape. Next, a center core member 2 for applying a pressure to the electrode group 3 is inserted in a winding core hole 6 of the electrode group 3. Thereafter, the electrode group 3 is deformed into a flat shape. Then, the flat electrode group 3 is accommodated in a rectangular flat armoring can 4 with a base and an opening portion of the armoring can 4 is sealed, thereby producing a rectangular flat secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Hirakawa, Takayuki Shirane
  • Publication number: 20110195284
    Abstract: The battery module includes a plurality of battery units, a housing, a wiring board, and a lid. The battery unit is composed of one or more battery cells each having a vent mechanism. At least one surface of the housing is an open end. The housing has a plurality of storage parts partitioned by one or more partition walls. Each battery unit is stored in each storage part. The wiring board covers the open end of the housing, is disposed at the vent mechanism side of the cell, and has connection terminals connected to the battery units. The lid covers the open end of the housing and the wiring board, and has an open part. Through holes are provided on the wiring board in positions facing the battery units and in a different region from that of the connection terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Shunsuke Yasui, Takuya Nakashima, Yasushi Hirakawa, Jun Asakura
  • Publication number: 20110177366
    Abstract: A battery pack of the present invention includes: a battery assembly including a plurality of batteries having a sealed portion, the plurality of batteries being connected to each other; a terminal portion electrically connected to the battery assembly and outputting electric power; and a composite layer structure including a heat-absorbing layer and a heat-conductive layer layered on the heat-absorbing layer, the composite layer structure being arranged at least at a part of a periphery of the battery assembly. The heat-absorbing layer has a specific heat of 1,000 J/kg·° C. or more. The heat-conductive layer has a heat conductivity of 10 W/m·K or more. This configuration allows for a small, light, and highly safe battery pack that is free from battery pack damage even when a battery in the battery pack has trouble and emits a high-temperature inflammable gas to expose the inside of the battery pack to a high-temperature environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Nagasaki, Norio Marubayashi, Hajime Nishino, Yasushi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 7976979
    Abstract: An electrode group 4 having a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate arranged with a porous insulating layer interposed therebetween and end portions of the positive and negative electrode plates protruding from the porous insulating layer is prepared, and current collector plates 10 and 11 each of which is provided with a projection 12 having a gap 12a formed therein is prepared. With the end portion 2a of the electrode plate protruding from the porous insulating layer 3 kept in contact with a principle surface of the current collector plates 10 and 11, the projection 12 is locally heated to join the end portion 2a of the electrode plate and the current collector plates 10 and 11. the end portion 2a of the electrode plate is welded to the current collector plates 10 and 11 with a fused material obtained by fusing the projection 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyomi Kozuki, Tadashi Imai, Yasushi Hirakawa, Takashi Nonoshita
  • Publication number: 20110143199
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: a positive electrode 4 including a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode material mixture layer containing a positive electrode active material and a binder and provided on the positive electrode current collector; a negative electrode 5; a porous insulating layer 6 interposed between the positive electrode 4 and the negative electrode 5; and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode 4 has a tensile extension percentage of 3.0% or more. The binder is made of polyvinylidene fluoride. The positive electrode current collector has a softening temperature lower than a crystalline melting point of the binder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Muraoka, Yasushi Hirakawa, Miho Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110132493
    Abstract: It is a fuel supply adaptor device which connects the apparatus having a fuel injecting portion including a power generator formed of fuel cells to the fuel cartridge having a fuel supplying portion and delivers the fuel in the fuel cartridge to the power generator, comprising a second connector for making connection to the fuel injecting portion of at least one apparatus, a first connector for making connection to the fuel supplying portion of at least one fuel cartridge, a connecting pipe for connecting the first connector to the second connector, and a holder, wherein the first connector, the second connector, and the connecting pipe are held by the holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Katsumi Kozu, Yasushi Hirakawa, Takeshi Fukumasa